The Flower of Slaughter

Master took a deep breath and, beneath the mingling of dawn and night, raised the longsword Moonlight.

With a roar, he swung it forward with unstoppable force.

Wisps of white magic surged. It was wind-aspected magic, stirring up clouds of dust.

"Alas, have I reached the end of the road?"

Master sheathed Moonlight.

Then his gaze hardened, and he spoke to himself.

"No. I can still go further. I need more trials between life and death. I need to fight. Only when the magic within me reaches its limit will I be able to break through."

"Commander! Look who I brought!"

A familiar voice rang out in the distance. Master came to his senses and looked over.

Russell galloped toward him on horseback, soon drawing near. Someone else was riding behind him.

"Have you been out drinking?"

Master asked coldly, his face expressionless.

"Uh... Hahahaha, of course not! I just went for a stroll around town. Look who's behind me."

Russell awkwardly scratched the back of his head and hurriedly changed the subject.

"Old Rune's son? The lord told me about him. But first, you'll have to pass the knight's examination."

Master didn't press the matter. He looked at the boy behind Russell, his brows furrowing.

"Commander, my name is Charles. I hope to become an apprentice knight under your command and pledge my loyalty to Lord Aurelian."

Charles quickly dismounted, his face filled with excitement.

"Good, Charles. You've taken another step toward hell."

Master walked up to Charles and looked down at his resolute face with icy eyes, his tone cold.

Charles felt a chill sweep over him. His whole body froze, and cold sweat poured down his back.

Master turned away and casually added,

"Come with me."

"Phew..."

Once Master's gaze had shifted away, Charles nearly collapsed to his knees.

"Keep it up. I believe in you."

Russell had appeared beside Charles at some point. He rested a rough hand on his shoulder and offered some encouragement.

"Yeah, I'll make it!"

Charles nodded. With fierce determination, he stood up straight again and ran after them.

Russell watched Charles disappear into the distance. His fiery face wore a complicated expression, as if he were looking at his former self.

"Alas, do young people these days never listen to advice? There's nothing ahead but hell."

Charles stayed close behind Master, not daring to fall even a step behind, afraid he'd be left behind.

They walked in silence until Master stopped in front of a house.

The door was wrapped in icy iron chains. Charles recognized this kind of lock. It was called Thorn Wrap.

It was usually used to seal the doors of places holding important items. The town's warehouse used a similar chain lock.

"I used to think talent determined everything, and that those with a Legendary Bloodline were heaven's chosen. I thought people like us were nothing but ordinary mortals."

Master seemed to be talking to himself, but Charles heard him too.

Charles froze, his face full of confusion. He didn't understand what the knight commander was getting at.

"But after dueling the Grand Knight Commander, I finally understood that there's something even more important than talent: training. Being born through death. Only the harshest environments can give rise to a flower of slaughter, and only the harshest environments can produce the strongest."

Charles was stunned by those words.

A flower of slaughter? The strongest?

"So, are you ready to face the harshest trial here?"

Master turned around and asked coldly.

Silence. More silence. Charles didn't know what to say. This knight's trial wasn't anything like he'd imagined.

Click—

Master took out a key and unlocked Thorn Wrap. With a forceful push, he sent a thick stench of blood rushing out.

"Are you ready?"

Master turned to look at Charles behind him and asked.

"I... I... I'm ready."

For some reason, all his confidence vanished in an instant. Fear welled up again, but the little stubbornness he had left forced him not to give up.

Master's lips curled into a strange smile.

The heavy door slammed shut. Charles heard Thorn Wrap close again, and the footsteps of the person outside gradually faded away.

"No!"

Charles cried out in despair. Master was a madman!

This wasn't a knight's trial at all. It was murder!

Growl—

A low growl came from the depths of the dark room.

Charles's heart went cold. He hurriedly drew Black Blood, pointing its blade at the darkness, so thick it seemed almost solid.

Thud, thud, thud—

His heart sank to the bottom of his chest, and the hand gripping the hilt trembled uncontrollably.

"I... I warn... you... D-don't come any closer!"

Charles's eyes widened, his whole body tensing.

Growl—

Green eyes appeared in the darkness, flickering. Its pitch-black body was naturally camouflaged in the shadows.

But its sleek fur gave it away. It was a terrifying great cat that preyed on humans!

"Shadow Cat!" Charles cried, naming the monster lurking in the dark.

Recognizing his enemy brought him no joy. Charles was even more desperate, because the Shadow Cat's evil reputation was already infamous.

It was cruel and vicious, fond of toying with its prey before driving it into a corner. Then, while its victims were still alive, it would tear away their flesh bit by bit and slowly devour them.

Those it hunted always met a gruesome end, their bodies left in pieces.

Charles was utterly terrified. His back pressed against the door. With nowhere left to retreat, he had been cornered.

"What do I do? What do I do? How can I die here? I have to become a knight!"

Even a cornered rabbit would bite, let alone a person.

Clutching Black Blood tightly, Charles suddenly remembered what Master had said earlier.

"Being born through death. Only the harshest environments can give rise to a flower of slaughter."

"That's right. The only way to survive now is to face death!"

Charles tightened his grip on the longsword, gritted his teeth, and charged forward with everything he had.

"Roar!"

The Shadow Cat growled low and lunged at Charles, meeting his charge head-on.

Squelch!

Warm blood splattered. Charles's pupils contracted.

It hurt!

It hurt so much!

But he roared, held onto the hilt, and kept driving the sword in.

"Yow!"

The Shadow Cat let out a heart-rending cry, then collapsed in a pool of blood and went still.

A longsword was embedded in its heart, and scalding blood kept flowing from the wound.

Charles collapsed to the ground, helpless. Three bloody gashes marked his chest. The searing pain kept his nerves alight, and he couldn't lose consciousness.